Note: OK, so I definitely wasn't planning on having smut at the end of this story, but now I feel bad for having all this buildup and not intending to follow-through on it. Plus, Hannah threatened me. Thanks as always for your feedback – I absolutely love reading all your responses.
Oh, and one more thing! I totally share your joy at what Elizabeth said last chapter. The girl sure knows what to say when there's really nothing to say. Hooray! And I swear there's a point in this story where I literally had to stop laughing because I was so happy. Tears threatened, guys – I'm not gonna lie.
Safe Haven – prt 12
Francis Corelli was humming something under his breath – some Italian love ballad, maybe Al-di-la – and Elizabeth found the older bodyguard's voice very soothing as the two of them ambled slowly through the park in the early morning. Francis had been concealed behind the tinted windows of the limo when Elizabeth had gotten in and she almost couldn't believe her eyes when his glittering gray eyes met hers.
He had inquired of her health and other relatively trivial things, not wanting to touch the more important subjects – the status of her relationship with his boss, her arrival in the small town two weeks after her staged death and all that good stuff. And Elizabeth was grateful for Francis' tact; she wasn't sure what she would have said in reply to his questions had he asked them.
And now the two of them were walking through the park as the early rays of sunshine kissed away the dewdrops from the lush green foliage. Elizabeth had already called Nikolas and the Cassidine Prince had been overjoyed to hear from her again and had immediately requested that she come over to Kelly's to have breakfast with him immediately.
Francis' arm was wrapped comfortingly around her shoulder and Elizabeth rested her head lightly against his solid frame. She could hardly believe she was back in Port Charles. Two weeks had passed – a literal period of life and death for her – and yet the small town still looked the same. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. Walking through the park with her favorite bodyguard – it was as if she had never left. It just didn't feel right: so much had changed for her in the two short weeks since she boarded Sonny's yacht, and yet Port Charles remained frustratingly unchanged.
She sighed softly, her thoughts drifting back to what had happened between her and Jason on the plane. The corner of her mouth twitched when she realized that if she tried, she could still feel his lips against hers. He had looked so inconsolable and resigned that kissing him and blurting out that she was in love with him were all that she could think to do. But she didn't regret it; she did, however, regret not telling him sooner.
Did he believe her?
It was a question that had plagued her ever since she slid onto the leather seat of the limo, a question that lurked behind the bright smile she had offered Francis. A question that still shadowed her with its possible answer.
She should have stayed and found out for herself right then and there what Jason felt when she told him that. That was the only way she would have known, and it would have been worlds better than walking idly through the park and torturing herself with the uncertainty of it all.
She wouldn't blame him if he didn't believe her. Hell, she wouldn't even blame him if he didn't feel same. But Elizabeth knew that she had said her peace and that the chips were now free to fall where they would; there was nothing she could do about it anymore.
Trying to push the nagging doubts out of her head for good, Elizabeth leaned into Francis' side and concentrated on his soft singing, knowing that as soon as she found Nikolas – and inevitably, Lucky – and explained herself, the sooner she could get back to Jason.
"Jason."
Sonny Corinthos was all smiles when the door opened and his best friend stepped into the penthouse. The mobster looked casual in his pressed slacks and white oxford shirts with the sleeves folded up, and the large grin he wore compelled Jason to smile weakly back.
"Hey, Sonny." Jason clasped Sonny's extended hand in his own and wasn't surprised when the older man pulled him into a hug, clapping him on the back. It had been months since they had seen each other last and although hardly a day went by that they didn't talk over the phone, it was still good to come home and see his best friend face-to-face again. "I brought the papers-"
"The hell with the papers," Sonny interrupted good-naturedly, taking the manila folders from Jason's hand and tossing them carelessly onto the desk. "How are you, Jason?"
There was no mistaking the genuine brotherly concern and happiness in Sonny's obsidian eyes and Jason wearily rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine. Where's Carly?"
His best friend allowed the careful change in subject. "She spent the night at the Brownstone with Bobbie and Lucas – took Michael with her. We had dinner there last night and Carly wanted to stay. I had some work to finish so I came home, but I'm supposed to go back there later today."
Jason was nodding slowly. "How are they doing?"
"Good," Sonny sighed, the relief apparent in his voice. "Good. They're doing good. They're all just so relieved that the threat is over – that Lucky i-isn't being brain-washed anymore." Sonny was kicking himself the minute he accidentally let Lucky's name slip from his mouth, and the mobster didn't miss the way Jason flinched instinctively at the mention. "Lucas recovered just fine, and…what can I say? Everything's finally out in the open. Stephan's been cleared of Chloe's murder – Alexis was so relieved. Let's see…Cassidine's back with Taggert's sister and he's heading up the family business now. Everything's returning to normal." He nodded solemnly, running a hand through his black curls. "And that's good – we can all finally get back to 'normal'. Whatever that's supposed to be."
Jason smirked. "Yeah."
"So," Sonny started, licking his lips. "Elizabeth's in town now, right?"
His best friend nodded. "I sent her with Francis. She has some things she needs to do." With that, Jason slowly shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on to the couch on his way over to the wet bar.
Across the room, Sonny was grinning at the brief answer regarding Elizabeth. "I have a pretty good guess what those things might be," he mused aloud, his obsidian eyes glittering. "It was a long time coming, let me tell you that much."
Jason didn't so much as blink at that as he quickly gulped down a glass of bourbon and let the liquid burn a fiery trail down his throat and chest. The mobster frowned and watched his friend fill the glass up again. Given the fact that Elizabeth was probably currently telling Luke Spencer's psychotic son that he could stick it where the sun didn't shine, Jason didn't seem nearly as happy as Sonny imagined he'd be. After all, he was finally on the verge of getting the woman of his dreams. She was cutting her ball and chain loose, severing the oppressive ties of her past, and there was nothing standing in Jason's way.
Except his own insecurities.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Sonny shuffled forward. He didn't know how to have this conversation with his best friend; they didn't exactly crack open a bottle of wine and discuss the state of their loves lives – ever. And he wasn't sure that given his track record with Jason's women, that he had any right to open his fat mouth.
But as Jason gulped down the bourbon again and growled low in his throat as it burned its way down, Sonny's concern got the best of him.
"Jason?" His expensive Italian shoes shuffled against the thick carpet. "This is good, right?" His best friend didn't even spare him a glance. "I mean, Elizabeth's probably at Kelly's or the boxcar right now…" Still nothing. "She's going to tell Lucky that it's over, right? Isn't that what she's going to say?"
Jason remained silent and motionless, his fingers closing tightly around the glass he held.
Sonny's shoulders slumped as the only possible explanation for Jason's behavior hit him: it wasn't over between Lucky and Elizabeth. Despite all that Jason had done for her, she still chose Luke's deranged son over his best friend. She had broken Jason's heart and that's why he was here, in the penthouse, drowning his sorrow and hurt in expensive bourbon instead of with her.
"Oh, shit." He dragged one hand through his carefully gelled black curls. "Jason, I'm sorry." The enforcer turned his neck – only a slight movement – and looked stoically at Sonny over his shoulder. "I never thought…aw, hell. I thought that by asking you to go to the island…I don't know. Look, I always knew there was something between you and Elizabeth since you came back to town last time. Whatever it was that you first felt for her when she saved your life, Jason – that changed. You looked at her differently. She looked at you differently. And when you left, I can't imagine that it was on good terms. And I-I just thought that by putting you two together on that island, I was giving you a chance to talk things out and…" Somehow admitting to his Cupid complex out right didn't seem appropriate given the gravity of the situation. "I didn't want you to get hurt again."
He watched as a muscle in Jason's jaw ticked. "Look, man – I never thought…How the hell could she still want Spencer after everything he put her through? The kid's a monster! He flipped out on Nikolas, he pushed her away and broke her heart, he poisoned his own damn cousin, he tried to kill his father – he deserves to be locked up somewhere!" Sonny's coal-black eyes were glittering with fury. "And yet she still decides to go back to him? After – After everything you two have been through? She just walked out on you? Look, I've always liked Elizabeth, but sometimes that girl-"
"She said she loved me."
The simple statement extinguished the fire of Sonny's words, and the mobster could only stare at his friend who was still standing with his arms braced over the bar. Jason didn't move, and neither did Sonny, as those words remained suspended between them. A slow grin spread on the kingpin's face, bringing out his dimples, and he had to look away for a moment.
"She said she loved you."
Jason's eyes met his, and even in his own relief and happiness at his friend's situation, Sonny could still see the fear in the enforcer's eyes. "Yeah."
He crossed his arms over his chest, studying his feet as he tried to wipe the beaming grin off his face with little success. "Wow." Sonny looked up again, still smiling broadly, and Jason straightened. "That's good," he replied softly.
The enforcer dipped his head. "Yeah."
"That's real good," Sonny couldn't help adding as his eyes twinkled.
"Yeah," Jason got out on a soft sigh. "It is."
His boss and mentor quirked a dark brow at him. "Then would you mind telling me what the hell your problem is?"
A sigh rattled through his chest and Jason turned away, tempted to reach for the bourbon again. His gaze swept across the mantle over the fireplace as he slowly turned, blinking at the bright light that streamed into the penthouse from the balcony.
"Elizabeth and I…" His voice was soft and faraway. "We always work best when we're alone. When we're far away from everyone else. That's how it started between us, and that's how it…ended. When I left."
Sonny said nothing, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he listened carefully. Jason was never the one to pour out his feelings and if something was bothering him to such a degree that he actually felt the need to do so, he'd listen carefully and do his best to help.
"We met that night at Jake's, and when she sat down at the table and began to tell me why she was there and what she was doing – it was like no one else was around. To this day, I can't tell you how long we sat there and talked. It might have been five minutes; it might have been five hours. And when we'd meet after that – in the park, on the docks – it was the same way. It was just the two of us. When she – when she pulled me out of the snow and took me to her studio, it was just us. She kept me safe and hidden from everyone, and she wouldn't back off no matter how much your or Carly pushed her."
Sonny looked away, still not having gotten past his guilt at that point in their history. He wasn't proud of what he had done to Jason that night, but he thanked the Good Lord that good things had come out of it. He had a wife and a son, and Jason had…Jason had his Elizabeth.
"When I came back last time, she did the same thing. She kept me safe, she kept me hidden even though it meant lying to her friends and to L-Lucky. She wasn't worried about any of that." He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long breath he didn't know he had been holding. "I think that's when I fell in love with her."
Sonny nodded solemnly with understanding, his surprise at Jason's frankness overshadowed by his gratitude that his friend would actually share this with him.
"But whenever anyone else factored into the equation…that's when things went wrong. Nikolas and Audrey – I remember when they came into her studio back when I was shot. Elizabeth had to tell them that we were s-sleeping together. And before long, the whole town had labeled her as my whore." He said the words with complete disgust, still angered that any of the townsfolk could think something like that about her. "Carly would always pick a fight with her for no reason other than the fact that she hated her for helping me. And then Lucky…"
His voice trailed off and he looked away, and Sonny suddenly realized what was troubling his friend so. "You're afraid that since she said that to you while you were both away, things might change now that she's back in Port Charles."
Jason's piercing eyes darted up to his and he didn't bother to deny what the older man had said. "I don't want to keep doubting her. I don't."
"I know," Sonny replied honestly. "But I also think it's understandable."
"She told me she loved me," he murmured, as if he still didn't believe it himself. "That should be enough. I shouldn't be-"
"But you are," the mobster reminded him bluntly. "That doesn't make you a bad person, Jason."
His blue eyes blazed. "I don't trust her," he spat out. "What kind of man am I that the woman I love tells me she loves me and I don't fucking trust her?"
"It's not that you don't trust her," Sonny disagreed. "Like it or not, Jason, you're just nervous."
The mobster frowned. "I'm never nervous."
Sonny's dimples emerged once more. "First time for everything, right?" He watched Jason scowl in disbelief before sobering up and continuing. "You're just nervous, Jason – that's all. It's not about trusting her or not trusting her. It's all been pretty sudden for the two of you – I don't know what I was interrupting when I called but obviously, it was something." He didn't even expect Jason to deny it. "And then all of a sudden you learn that you can come back with her to Port Charles, and that her boyfriend's fine now. And then she tells you she loves you. It happened fast, man – you're allowed to be nervous."
Jason sighed wearily as he struggled to accept the truth in Sonny's words. "So all I can do, then, is just wait for her to do what she has to do."
Sonny smiled sympathetically. "Might as well have some bourbon while we wait."
"It's good to see you two back together again," Elizabeth said softly, her eyes sparkling when Nikolas wrapped an arm around Gia. "I haven't seen you happy for a long time."
"Hard to be happy considering what we were up against," Nikolas admitted with a wry smile. "But we got through okay, didn't we?"
Elizabeth didn't say anything, remaining silent as Gia cuddled closer to her boyfriend and stole his glass of orange juice. They had been sitting together for about twenty minutes and they'd talked endlessly. She was given all the gory details of Stavros' demise, and she was just thankful that Nikolas didn't seem to be emotionally scarred from it. Thankfully, the topic of Lucky hadn't come up and Nikolas had been careful to make sure it didn't. Gia, however, wasn't nearly as tactful as her royal boyfriend.
"We got through great," she replied with a smile, looping her arm through his and letting her chin rest on his shoulder. "You know, Elizabeth, no offence or anything, but I never believed that a girl like you could really steal Nikolas away from a girl like me."
The brunette rolled her eyes. "That's great, Gia." She had forgotten how completely annoying the model could be. Nikolas smiled at her apologetically, and she returned his warm gaze.
"I mean, we're back together and it's just like it was before any of this crap started," she announced. "And speaking of which, I'm dying to know what happened on the little island that Corinthos carted you off to."
"Nothing much," she replied blandly, sweeping her fingertip over the rim of her mug.
Gia's black eyes glittered. "I hear that you had Jason Morgan there to, uh…keep you company."
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Where the hell did you hear that?"
Nikolas looked away guiltily. "She, uh, accidentally overheard a conversation between me and Sonny last night," he admitted sheepishly.
Elizabeth's sapphire eyes narrowed into lethal slits. "Overheard, my ass – more like eavesdropped."
Gia rolled her eyes, waving a hand at her dismissively. "Overheard, eavesdropped – same difference. So tell me-" her lips curled upwards in a dirty little smirk. "Did you get lucky?"
Elizabeth groaned at her choice in words and across from her, Nikolas was appalled. "Gia, I don't think you should ask her-"
"Why not?" the model demanded haughtily. "If I was stranded on a little island and had a man like that parading around – boy, I'm telling you-"
"Please don't," Elizabeth groaned, covering her eyes. She didn't even want to think about what Gia would do to Jason – especially since she herself hadn't had a chance to anything to him.
"I second that," Nikolas agreed hastily, turning his eyes back to Elizabeth. "So, Liz-"
He was interrupted by the jingle of the little bells above Kelly's door, and all three of them looked up to see Lucky Spencer walk in. The blonde's hair was shorter now, and he was dressed in his jeans and a light corduroy jacket over his green t-shirt. He instantly spied Elizabeth and his eyes glowed with happiness.
"Elizabeth!" She tried to bite back the groan that threatened to surface, feeling dread in the pit of her stomach as he raced over and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled back to kiss her lips but she quickly pulled him into a hug again. After all, anything was better than him kissing her – especially when she wasn't his to kiss anymore.
"I missed you, baby," he whispered, rocking her back and forth. "Sonny told my dad you'd be back today, and I couldn't even sleep last night. Not without you in bed next to me."
She grimaced into his shoulder, showing the first signs of struggle as she extricated herself from his grip.
"We have to thank Sonny for what he did," Lucky prattled on, smoothing her hair with his hands. "Taking care of you on that island – I hope you weren't bored, Elizabeth. You've been there for two weeks now. But don't worry." He pulled her close and brushed his lips against hers. "We're not ever going to be apart again."
She froze the minute his lips touched hers and pushed at his chest. Surprised, Lucky's hold on her loosened and Gia watched with open fascination as Elizabeth stumbled back a step. "Lucky, we have to talk – can we go outside or somewhere-"
"Talk?" Lucky scoffed, his pale eyes still glittering with happiness. "Elizabeth, don't be silly – we have to eat breakfast. And afterwards, I thought we could go back to that church where we first said our vows." A feeling of nausea washed over her. "Father Flannigan is in today and he said he wouldn't mind if we stopped by to take another look. We always talked about getting married there in that same spot."
She stumbled back a step, shaking her head slightly. "Lucky, I-"
"We've got a lot of work to do," Lucky reminded her. "But that's okay – it's better to get married sooner rather than later. After all, there's no reason to wait anymore. I want to make you my wife as soon as possible."
The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. "You can't," she croaked.
Lucky stared at her in surprise. "What did you just say?"
"You can't," she replied, more firmly this time.
The blonde's eyes narrowed. "Elizabeth, what are you saying?"
"I wasn't alone on the island, Lucky."
Nikolas winced and Gia tented her fingers, eager to see how this would play out. Lucky just frowned at her. "If you weren't alone, then who was with-"
She lifted her chin a notch. "Jason. Jason was with me."
A cold mask descended over Lucky's face as her words sank in. "Oh. Jason." He nodded once, his jaw clenched tightly. "Jason was with you."
"He was," she nodded slowly.
A fire blazed in the boy's topaz eyes. "Did he bother you, Elizabeth? God, what the fuck was Corithos thinking! Everyone knows that brain-dead goon can't be trusted around you! Elizabeth – did he touch you? Oh, when I get my hands on that son of a bitch-"
"No, Lucky!" she exclaimed, wanting to cover her ears to escape his harsh words. "Jason would never hurt me!"
He reeled back in shock at that statement. "What? Elizabeth, you don't know what you're saying! That baboon jumped me on the docks with a knife – don't you remember? He came at me from outta nowhere!" He watched in disbelief as her eyes remained cold and unyielding. "Oh, I see. I get what's going on here – he turned you against me, didn't he?" He slammed his fist angrily into his palm. "He just couldn't get it through his cracked skull that you chose me – he tried to turn you against me!"
Still, her eyes remained cold and distant and Lucky began to grow increasingly agitated and panicky. "Wait – He didn't have to try too hard, did he?" He scowled when she didn't deny anything. "He did, didn't he, Elizabeth? He told you that I was scum and you believed it – you lapped it up, didn't you? He had you right where he wanted you!"
Elizabeth wanted to roll her eyes, but that would probably make him snap. She felt as if she was having an out-of-body experience as she watched him carry on. This was not the boy she fell in love with; the real Lucky would never stand here and say these hurtful and vicious things to her. This boy was practically accusing her of being a whore.
Lucky prowled closer, snarling viciously under his breath. "Tell me, Elizabeth – did you fuck him, too?"
Gia gasped and Elizabeth reeled back, letting her palm hit his cheek with a hard crack. Lucky gasped, having had the wind knocked out of him, and covered his burning flesh with one hand. His wide topaz eyes met Elizabeth's icy ones as she stepped forward with determination.
"You listen to me, Lucas Lorenzo Spencer," she got out, a definite edge to her voice. "Don't you ever talk to me like that again. Don't you ever accuse me of something like that." She tilted her head to the side as an amused smile curled her lips. "You know, this is kind of ironic. You want an honest answer, Lucky? No, I didn't fuck him." She eased closer, her dark eyes glittering wickedly. "But I came damn close."
Gia bit her lip as she reached for one of Nikolas' French fries – this was juicier than she would have expected.
"In fact, I would have taken him on that lovely leather chair he keeps in his office," she purred flippantly. "But, actually, Jason was the one that stopped us." She didn't pay any attention to the way Lucky glowered darkly at her. He could just go to Hell. "He was the one that said that everyone needed to be clear on where I stood before anything happened." She tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear, so far beyond caring that they were causing a scene that it was laughable. "You know, I was actually pretty upset with him for that. I felt like he was making me feel cheap – just like what you did just now. But he was right. Everyone needs to be clear with where I stand before anything happens."
Her eyes met Francis' through the door to Kelly's and she slowly reached for her purse. "So let me elucidate here." She raised her chin, staring him defiantly in the eyes and didn't care one bit about who was listening to her announcement. "I can't marry you. I won't marry you. And I won't be with you anymore, either. And why?"
She glanced at Nikolas and Gia, who looked like her eyes might bug out of her sockets at any given second, and then met Lucky's gaze coolly. "Because I am in love with Jason Morgan. And he's the only man I want to be with."
Elizabeth slid her purse strap over her shoulder and nodded slightly at Francis, who pulled the front door open in anticipation of her exit. She turned first to Nikolas and his girlfriend, who only stared at her in shock. "Thank you for everything, Nikolas. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."
"I love you, Liz," the young man got out, unable to meet his brother's gaze and so choosing instead to meet only hers. "I want nothing but the best for you. Just…be careful, okay?"
She answered him with only a Mona Lisa smile before she turned to look at Lucky. "Goodbye, Lucky."
And with that, she walked out to where Francis was waiting for her and never looked back.
